Earth's Moon

The earth has a huge moon orbiting around it, which scientists now know
1) did not bulge off due to the earth's high rotational speed and 2) could
not have been captured by the earth's gravity, due to the moon's large mass.1
Therefore, scientists hypothesize that the Moon was formed by a large impact
between the earth and a large planetesimal early during the formation of the
Solar System. A recent study examines the probability of such events
occurring in other stellar systems.

Rich Deem

Introduction

Proponents of intelligent design claim that the universe, Milky Way Galaxy,
Solar System, and earth are specifically designed by an intelligent agent for habitation by human beings. Others say that such claims amount to a
God of the gaps
argument, since scientists do not yet have answers for the apparent design of the
universe. If the skeptics of intelligent design are correct, then science should
be finding that we do not occupy any special place in the universe. However, a
new study disputes the idea that earth's moon is just an ordinary moon.

Formation of the Moon

Scientists now know that the Moon was formed by the collision of the small
planet with the earth, which resulted in the ejection of 5 billion cubic miles
of the earth's crust and mantle into orbit around the earth. This ring of
material, the theory states, would eventually coalesce to form the moon. In
addition, the moon is moving away from the earth (currently at 2 inches per
year), as is predicted by the theory. If we calculate backwards, we discover
that the moon must have formed just outside the Roche limit, the point at which
an object would be torn apart by the earth's gravity (7,300 miles above the
earth's surface). A collision which would have ejected material less than the
Roche limit would have formed only rings around the earth. Computer models show
that a collision of a small planet with the earth must have been very precise in
order for any moon to have been formed at all.

The new study

When a moon is formed by the kind of collision that formed Earth's Moon, dust
would have been blasted throughout the solar system. Astronomer Nadya Gorlova of
the University of Florida, Gainesville, decided to study newly forming stars to
determine what percentage might have a moon that formed through one of these
massive collision events.2 In examining 400 newly formed stars (30 million years
old), only one shared characteristics that would suggest that such a large collision
had occurred, which might form a moon. Of course, the probability that
the newly formed moon would orbit an earth like planet within the habitable zone
would be much less likely.

Conclusion

Several earth-like planets have been detected
outside our solar system.
However, it is unlikely that such earths would have a moon the size of
Earth's moon, since such a pair could not coalesce together, nor could such a
moon be captured by a small planet like the earth. Therefore, the only means by
which such a moon could form would be through a collision event early in the
history of stellar formation. In the first study to examine the probability of
such a formation, a new study shows that only one in 400 new stars might
have formed such a moon through a collision event. Why is it important how the
moon was formed? Without such a large moon, earth's rotation axis would be
unstable, swinging through 90° or more, resulting in extremely variable climate
over its history. In addition, the collision event itself blew off earth's
early heavy greenhouse atmosphere, which allowed the planet to retain its water for
billions of years. The removal of much of the earth's crust also allowed the
earth to retain its tectonic activity for billions of years, which allowed for
the existence of both land and ocean. Without such tectonic activity, earth
would have become and remained a waterworld. For more information, see
The Incredible Design of the Earth and Our Solar System.
Astronomy and cosmology continue to provide evidence that the earth is not just
an ordinary planet in an ordinary solar system.

A secular book (2000) that recognizes the improbable design of the
earth. Paleontologist Peter D. Ward and astrobiologist Donald Brownlee examine
the unusual characteristics of our galaxy, solar system, star, and Earth and
conclude that ET may have no home to go to. Surprisingly, the authors conclude
that the amazing "coincidences" are the result of good luck and
chance.

A classic book by astronomer Hugh Ross on modern Christian apologetics and
science, (updated June, 2001). Dr. Ross presents the
latest scientific evidence for intelligent design of our world and an easy to
understand introduction to modern cosmology. This is a great book to give
agnostics, who have an interest in cosmology and astronomy.